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The fact, that I am just getting around reviewing Sagar is absolutely disgraceful, to be honest. We’ve been semi-regular patrons for about 15 years! In fact, we went to Sagar for one of our first dates with my husband. Ever since we’ve been enjoying a meal at least once a year in Sagar. We love it, not only for the lovely memories but of course also the amazing food. My husband is not a veggie, but he’s always up for a veggie curry or a dosa. And Sagar is good at both, especially their dosas are amazing. Let’s learn more about this fab little veggie restaurant, in the heart of the theatre district of London.
Where Can Sagar Leicester Square Located?
Sagar is in the middle of where things are happening, in the theatre district, just a block off from the hustle and bustle of Leicester Square. Find it right opposite the Harold Pinter Theatre (the back of it).
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Address:
- 37 Panton Street Leicester Square, London SW1Y 4EA England. The closest tube station would be Leicester Square, just a few minutes walk from there.
Other branches:
Catherine St in Covent Garden (opposite Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Percy St in Fitzrovia, King St in Hammersmith and Station Rd in Harrow.
About Sagar Leicester Square
Specialising in authentic South Indian dishes such as curries, dosas and thalis (just to mention my favourites) this is a VEGETARIAN and VEGAN restaurant with only a handful of restaurants located in London. They proud themselves using traditional recipes and spices. As such, they also have garlic and onion free dishes as that’s a dietary requirement in hinduism as is vegetarianism. All the chefs are also from Udupi (coastal Karnataka), which known for its dishes using fresh coconut, lentils, rice and a carefully balanced blend of spices.
They offer a’la carte, lunch specials and lunch boxes at special prices – on the top of already very very economical a’la carte prices.
The Leicester Square restaurant is one of our go-to pre-theatre restaurant near the West End.
Interesting fact: Sagar means ocean in Hindi.
What Did We Have at Sagar Leicester Square?
We have been visiting Sagar for over a decade and we always have our favourite doses when dining there. This time, though, I opted for lentil dahl and my husband of course had a veggie dosa (instead of his regular masala dosa, which is a potato filled dosa. Absolutely delicious).
- Sagar Special Dosa: Rice & lentil pancake filled with onions, tomatoes, coriander, cooked with smashed vegetables in tomato sauce & spices £10.95.-
- Dal Tadka: Boiled lentils tempered with Indian spices £9.45.-
- Garlic Naan: Homemade fresh naan bread with garlic £4.75.-
- Cobra beer £5.35.-
- Vegetarian Spanish rose wine – can’t remember the price, but it must have been cheap, it’s a very forgettable rose, not great at all.
What Is a Dosa?
A dosa is a popular South Indian dish, it is a thin, crispy crepe made from fermented rice and urad dal (black gram) batter. Traditionally, dosas are served with a variety of accompaniments, including coconut chutney, sambar (a lentil-based vegetable stew), and other spicy condiments. There are many variations, such as the masala dosa, which is filled with spiced potatoes, and rava dosa made from semolina instead of rice.
What Is a Dahl?
Dahl, also spelled dal or daal, refers to a staple dish in South Indian cuisine, primarily made from lentils, peas, or beans. The term also encompasses a variety of legumes that are cooked down into a thick, hearty stew. These dishes are often seasoned with aromatic spices like turmeric, cumin, and coriander.
Review: What We thought About Sagar Leicester Square?
The Food
In my view, Sagar is an abolute hidden gem. The food is absolutely amazing, very delicious (I could eat it every day, I swear). We have mostly tried dosas, thalis and dhals and we have never been disappointed, in fact we leave the restaurant every time with the feeling: we need to come again, soon! Everything is flavorful, light, feels healthy and tastes just perfect. Simple food, done absolutely masterful.
On the top of raving about how delicious the food is, I also have to mention just how very economical Sagar is. The food is simple and they don’t overcharge you. Everything is priced decently and moderately – if you happen to be around for their lunch deal, that’s an absolute bargain. Cheaper than a supermarket meal deal! See the prices above for our mains? It’s great food, for little money.
The food quality never once throughout the years we have been visiting Sagar in their different restaurants was different. All restaurants serve the same, never different, always the same quality. The menu doesn’t change, it’s always what we anticipate and look forward to, when booking Sagar. Exactly the same every time, just what we want.
The Ambience
The restaurant itself looks simple, but it’s pretty laid back, very comfortable and goes well with the superb comfort food they are serving. The space is very clean, everything maintained well.
Suitable for Vegans
A lot of dishes on the expansive menu are also vegan – it’s it’s easy to see which dishes are vegetarian and which are vegan, so I can highly recommend Sagar for my vegan foodies too.
The Staff
The staff is nice, they are not overly friendly, they are just there and do their jobs, nothing special or over the top. I don’t really want more than that.
The Verdict
Sagar is one of the most underrated gems of a restaurant. They deserve way more visibility. Easily one of the best Indian vegetarian restaurants in London in our view – and yes, we are looking forward to dine in Sagar again.
1 comment
[…] one. I would not generally consider myself to be a particularly greedy person, unless it comes to Indian food!Of course I always want more but that is just human nature to some extent. I would like more money […]